KIWI RIDERS
years old now and I ’ ve slowed down a bit these days . My younger brother died ten years ago and that made me realise that perhaps I wasn ’ t immortal .”
What do you love about riding ? “ I just like riding , especially for long distances without stopping . The people are great too . I was one of the very early members of the Victoria University of Wellington Motorcycle Club , and fifty years later I ’ m still riding with people I met there . We ’ re scattered around the country now , but we get together every now and then and go to events like the Brass Monkey or BMW Rough As Guts ( RAG ) rallies . It ’ s always good fun to get together with people I ’ ve known for a long time who are all into bikes . My partner Wendy bought herself a Harley a few years ago and it was nice to do some long distance rides together . She ’ s sold it now , but comes out in the sidecar .”
What ’ s your current ride ? “ I ’ ve got five BMWs . Well , four and a half , because one is half shared with my partner ’ s
What ’ s your least favourite part of riding ? “ A lot of people would probably say riding in the rain but I actually quite enjoy it . If you ’ ve got the right wet weather gear that doesn ’ t leak , then it ’ s fine . I feel like I ’ m in a little enclosed bubble . I don ’ t like riding in the wind at all .
ex-husband . That one is a R65 650cc . I ’ m not sure on the year . It ’ s registered as 1986 but it ’ s registered wrong . Then I ’ ve got an R80 ex-police bike from 1986 , a 1977 R100 , 1978 R100 with a sidecar and a 2001 R1100R . BMWs are great for riding long distances . In winter you hardly see any other type of bike outside of the cities . They really are a rider ’ s bike .”
What ’ s your favourite ride in New Zealand ? “ Whangamomona and the Forgotten Highway . Everyone loves that one , because it ’ s a really nice road to ride down . The West Coast is always nice too - when it ’ s not raining .”
44 KIWI RIDER